Teeter board



July 12, 1 932. .JJ R- I TEETER BOARD Filed Dec. 4, 1930 fnven zor John G. Pager Patented July 12, 1932 PATENT OFFICE JOHN C. RAGER, OF SHELBYVILLE, INDIANA TEETER BOARD Application filed December 4, 1930. Serial No. 499,995.

This invention relates to the art of a seesaw or teeter board intended for an amusement device. An important object of the invention is to provide a structure which in its larger form may be used as outdoor playground equipment and in its smaller form, within doors either by one or several children. Another important object of the invention is to providea .piece'of play equipment, which, while practically eliminating all danger of accident, at the same time affords a high degree of thrill a'ndpleasure combined with a physical exercise that is of utmost value. Another important object of the invention resides in the means provided whereby one child may remain upon the board without being dropped to the ground when a child gets off of the board at the other end.

These and other objects will become apparent in the following description of the invention as illustrated by the accompanying drawing, in which I Fig. 1 is a side elevation of one embodiment of the invention;

Fig. 2, a vertical section on the line 2-2 in in Fig. 1;

Fig. 3, a'vertical in Fig. 1; 4 Fig. 4: a side elevation of a modified form of the invention; and

Fig. 5, a vertical section on the line 5-5 in Fig. 4:. i

Referring to'the drawing, in which like characters of reference indicate like parts throughout the several views, the larger or outdoor form is shown in Figs. 1, 2, and 3. In this form I provide two vertical posts and 11 preferably anchored in a concrete base 12 to extend vertically upward in parallel relation and to have a horizontal bar 13 joining their upper ends. A bracket 14 is rotatsection on the line 8-3 a ably carried on the bar 13 and has the teeter a board 15 centrally secured thereto, whereby the board will extend substantially an equal distance from either side of the bar 13 so as to be normally balanced thereover.

Toward each end of the board 15 I secure to the under side thereof brackets 16 and 17 through which pass the bolts 18 and 19 to pivotally carry thereby the handles 20 and 21 respectively. These handles are inverted U-shaped bars straddling the board 15 to have the bolts pass through the legs thereof and to have the legs extend downwardly for an appreciable distance below the bolts on the order of shackles.

Between the posts 10 and 11 is positioned a Y-shaped post 22, the lower end of which is preferably anchored in the base 12. A horizontal brace 23 is secured to both posts 10 and 11 and the post 22. The arms of the post 22 are directed outwardly and upward ly toward the board 15 and carry thereon the leaf springs 24 and 25. These springs extend respectively from arms of the post 22 to have their outer ends pivotally carried between the legs of the handles 20 and 21 by means of the bolts 26 and 27, the outer ends of which extend laterally beyond the legs of the handles to form foot rests 0r pedals 28 and 29.

The springs 24 and are so formed and anchored by their inner ends to the post 22 as to normally retain the board 15 in the horizontal position as indicated in Fig. 1. When the board is to be operated the child may sit on the end of the board outside of either handle 20 or 21 and place its feet on the rests 28 and 29 and grasp the horizontal bar of the handle above the board. The springs 24: and 25 are of such strength to support the board 15 substantially in the horizontal position with the weight of the child on the one end of the board. Of course another child can take the same position on the other end of the board which is done in the usual course of operating the device, though it is entirely operative by one child. The child may push forwardly on the handle 20 which action will cause the board 15 and the springs to assume the position as indicated by the dash lines in Fig. 1 to have the board 15 tilted downwardly at the end upon which the child pushing that handle is seated. In case a child is on the other end of the board, it will push back on the handle 21 and push forwardly on the pedals 28 and 29 to aid in rocking the board 15 as described. The reverse operations are had to rock the board 15 in the opposite direction.

The form of the invention as illustrated in Figs. 4 and 5 is preferably that one employed indoors. In this form, a portable base 30 is provided from which a single vertical post 31 extends to pivotally support the board 32 centrally over its upper end. Instead of providing a separate post to support the springs, in this form I anchor the inner or lower ends of the springs 33 and 34 directly to the lower end of the post 31 and carry their ends outwardly to be pivotally secured between the lower ends of the legs of the handles 20 and 21 as in the form shown in Fig. 1. The operation of this form is identical with that of the form above described.

While I have here shown and described my invention in the best form as now known to me, it is entirely obvious that structural changes may be made from that form with out departing from the spirit of the invention, and I, therefore, do not desire to be limited to that precise form, nor any more than may be required by the following claims.

I claim:

1. In an amusement device, a support, a board rockably carried by the support, a handle near each end of the board pivotally secured thereto to extend both above and below the board, and spring members fixed to said support centrally below the board to have their outer ends attached to the said handles below the board.

2. In an amusement device, a support, a board rockably carried by the support, a handle near each end of the board pivotally secured thereto to extend both above and below the board, and spring members fixed to said support centrally below the board to have their outer ends attached to the said handles below the board, said springs normally retaining the board in substantially a horizontal position.

8. A see-saw comprising a base, a board, a support carried by the base and rockably carrying the board, an inverted U-shaped handle near each end of the board, said handles straddling the board and pivoted thereto and having legs extending below the board, foot rests secured to the said legs, and spring members fixed to said support centrally below the board, the outer ends of said spring members being attached to said legs.

4. In a teeter board, a support, a board rockably carried by the support, a hand lever fulcrumed 0n the board and a resilient member having a point fixed in relation to the base near the support, said lever having a leg extending below the board, and the outer end of said resilient member being attached to said leg.

5 In a teeter board, a board support, an osclllatory board, a hand lever fulcrumed on the board, and a spring member fixed to sand support and having a free end engaged by said lever adapted to be flexed by said lever to rock the board. I

6 In a teeter board, a board support, an osclllatory board, a hand lever fulcrumed on the board, and a spring member fixed to said support and having afree end engaged by said lever adapted to be flxed by said lever to rock the board, and a foot pedal carried bv the lever. a

7 In a teeter board, an oscillatory board, a cantilever spring member having one end fixed in relation to the board, a shackle attaching the free end of the member to the board near one end thereof, and lever means for rocking the shackle to distort the spring member and rock said board.

8. In a teeter board, an oscillatory board, a cantilever spring member having one end fixed in relation to the board, a shackle attachmg the free end of the member to the board near one end thereof, and lever means for rocking the shackle to distort the spring member and rock said board, said spring member normally retaining the board in a horizontal position.

9. In a teeter board, an oscillatory board, a cantilever spring member having one end fixed in relation to the board, a shackle attaching the free end of the member to the board near one end thereof, and lever means for rockmg the shackle to distort the spring member and rock said board, said spring being mounted in parallel arrangement with and below the board.

10. In a teeter board, a pair of posts, a horizontal bar uniting the upper ends of theposts, a board rockably carried on the bar, inverted U-shaped handles straddling the board and pivoted thereto to have legs extending below the board, a Y-post between the first twoposts, a spring arm extending upwardly and outwardly from the Y-post in both directions under the board to between the respective legs of said handles, and means pivotally ]O1I1lIlg the outer spring arm ends to said legs.

11. In a teeter board, a portable base, a post secured to the base, a board rockably carried on the upper end of the post, springs fixed to the sides of the post near the base and extending upwardly and outwardly in opposite directions away from the post under said board, a shackle pivotally attaching each outer free end of the springs to the board near its outer respective ends, and hand levers for rocking the shackles to flexsa-idsprings.

12. In a teeter board, a support, a board rockably carried by the support, a spring fixed to the support and having a free end extending out toward an end of the board, a

bar pivotally attached to the board near an outer end thereof and having its lower end pivotally secured to said free end of the spring, said bar spacing said free end at a distance from the board, and a foot rest extending laterally from said bar near said free end.

In testimony whereof I afi'ix my signature.

JOHN C. RAGER. 

